There was a time when, if a town had a statue at all, it might have been a Jubilation T. Cornpone looking thing depicting a Civil War soldier or an obscure community founder. The statue provided a roosting spot for pigeons, a backdrop for Fourth of July photo-ops and a mannequin for juvenile Halloween fashion designers.

Statues, or maybe we should sound a little more sophisticated by saying sculptures, are now big stuff. Many towns and cities around the country are installing public artwork, including murals and sculptures.

We would like to see Harrison become one of those communities that values the arts.

For several years now, Little Rock has made an effort to showcase public art. Since the opening of the Clinton Library and Museum, the city has installed numerous pieces of sculpture along the river front. Just this past weekend, Little Rock hosted its fourth Sculpture at the River Market, a juried sculpture show that attracts artists from around the country. The show has allowed Little Rock to purchase one or two pieces of sculpture a year to add to its collection of public art.

Maybe it's just a coincidence — or maybe not — that Little Rock was recently named by TravelorMore.com as a "super cool" city in which to live or visit. Part of that, we're sure, has to do with Little Rock's growing cultural scene.

Harrison, in an effort to attract businesses and industries, touts its fine churches, schools, outdoor activities and other positive aspects. Businesses also look at such things as cultural opportunities.

Our community already has cultural opportunities like the Harrison Art League and the Fiddler's Convention. North Arkansas College hosts a great lecture series that brings in wonderful speakers, and it hosted the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra last year.

Harrison does a great job hosting athletic events and tournaments, which bring in people to our town. Hosting an art show or two or becoming known as a center for the arts wouldn't be too bad, either.

Maybe we can be super cool, too.

If there is someone who can make all this happen, we'd be glad to erect a statue in his or her honor.

It seems as if everyone in Fort Smith passes through the intersection of Arkansas 45 and Phoenix Avenue at some time during the week, so probably most people already are enjoying the benefits of the upgrade at that corner.

We find ourselves thinking "what a pleasure" as we travel north on Old Greenwood and turn left on Phoenix or as we sail west on Phoenix past the Pavilion without worrying about the left-turning traffic aiming for Interstate 540. This is not a thought we ever had at that intersection before the upgrade. This time a year ago, we were busily making plans to avoid the area altogether for two months of holiday madness.

This year, we are reaping the benefits of a cooperative project between the city of Fort Smith and the Arkansas State Highway Commission that made possible improvements to Arkansas 45 — Old Greenwood Road in Fort Smith — between Phoenix and Zero Street. Those improvements to Old Greenwood included a much needed do-over to the intersection and the overpass of I-540.

The results are safer road conditions and a significant decrease in road-crazy, our unscientific term for drivers' anxiety when they cannot know for sure where their own cars should be, let alone anticipate where the other cars on the highway are likely to go next.

The state planned to get to the $14 million Arkansas 45 project some time, but it was going to be a few years out. So when the city of Fort Smith offered to pony up half — $6.9 million from dedicated street funds — the state agreed to move the project to the top of the list.

The highway and intersection improvements were needed, even more for public safety than for convenience. The joint financing helped get an important public project completed now, rather than later. Providing one more reason to celebrate, construction and lane striping were finished before the beginning of the holiday shopping season.

Maintaining good relationships with the Highway Commission and the state Department of Transportation is just good business. In western Arkansas, we often complain our voices aren't heard in Little Rock. By showing we are eager to work with the state and by putting our money where our mouth is, we've added a little volume to our side of the conversation.

Overheard in our newsroom recently but universally true of all such places: It is no accident Halloween and Election Day fall so close to each other.

The remark was intended to convey mental weariness_election fatigue_about strange things happening before the first Tuesday in November, including October surprises.

While many of us enjoy surprises, October surprises_the kind that come up in politics_usually are not welcome. They are timed and intended to do maximum damage to candidates who can do little to overcome late-in-the-race accusations, whether true or not.

The first statement was followed shortly by another comment linking politicians to the Halloween costume tradition: They (politicians) are just a bunch of people pretending to be something they are not.

That comment was amplified by an observation that the goblins, ghosties, and things that go bump in the night_the paranormal, spooky and unexplained_are less frightening than people running for public office.

The above is true, of course. But let's be realistic about why politicians pretend to be or be for something they really are not.

It is because the people who elect them do not want to deal with reality or realistically deal with problems.

We want action but we only want action that does us or our causes no harm. We are not much for shared sacrifice, if resolving an issue requires us to give up something.

Who isn't for a balanced budget? Well, until some program that benefits us needs to be cut to achieve balance.

Who doesn't believe that all people are created equal and should share in human rights everyone else enjoys? Well, depends on our definitions of humanity and rights. One person's right is another's privilege.

Who doesn't believe partisanship should be set aside to tackle problems that serve the common good? Again, depends on the definitions of partisanship and common good. One person's partisanship is another person's principle. One person's ideas of common and good differ from someone else's.

So the electoral process frequently becomes a seemingly never-ending horror show more concerned with dispatching the evil enemy as quickly and permanently as possible than honestly debating solutions.

Maybe we all mask our intentions and goals because being truthful about them will lead us to an unflattering caricature of what we are.